How I Learned to Stop Complaining and Start Loving SharePoint

The year was 2009. My organization had a creaky and neglected SharePoint intranet, if you could call it that. It was a dusty collection of monochromatic pages displaying a font smaller than most people over the age of 40 could read. Many outside of IT didn't even know it existed. I was one of them.

Until one fateful day during a team meeting.

"We need a place where we can talk about what our team does, maybe have a picture of us, an FAQ section. Wouldn't that be cool?"

It was hour number three of an all-day team retreat and I was in deep brainstorming mode, my sweet spot.

"Totally! Ok Teitelman, make it happen."

My boss was super supportive, especially when it came to things that would not require any further effort on his part.

A few days later, after accidentally turning to the page in my notebook where the to-do's from the retreat were scribbled, I jumped into action. I rang the number for the IT help desk, emblazoned on a tiny sticker stuck to the border of my computer screen.

A male voice answered, "IT."

It wasn't the lilting Irish voice of my nerd crush Chris O'Dowd (aka Roy) from the IT Crowd but friendly enough.

"Hi, I heard we have an intranet? I'd like to create a page on there. You know, with some photos, maybe an FAQ section?"

A long pause, and then "Ah ok. Well, um. Yeah, that sounds cool. I need to check on something first. Can I call you back?"

A few weeks went by. I started stewing. Then the phone rang.

"IT Help Desk" flickered into view on my VoIP phone's digital display. I remember finding that strange since it usually read, "No Service....Obtaining IP Address."

"Hey, it's Keith from IT. So, that thing you asked about? You're not going to like this but we can't actually do that."

"Seriously? Why not?"

"Um, I can't say for sure but it's, like, some kind of quirk about SharePoint or the version we have and it's just, like, impossible to do."

"Oh my God, that's ridiculous!"

"I know, it's a bummer, sorry. But happy to help with anything else. Just let me know!"

The page never happened. But something bigger did. This single event put me on the warpath and ultimately led to a career change from public health to knowledge management.

Flash forward to 2013. I've just been hired as the organization's first-ever director of knowledge management. I'm at lunch with the CEO and a few other newbies for the new-hire "lunch with the CEO" event.

As I munch down my Pad Thai, the CEO says, "So, I want to know from each of you. What do you want to accomplish in your first 30 days?"

Me, without skipping a beat, "Shut down SharePoint."

My old nemesis. Finally, I strike back!

Flash forward again. This time it's 2019. I'm running the digital transformation consulting firm I started three years ago after a successful run at that last job.

And yeah, in case you're wondering, I did shut down SharePoint in my first 30 days. In fact, I put the whole thing on a thumb drive and gave it to the executive sponsor as a gag gift. I was still young and a little mean.

My client is looking for ways to support staff to work remotely. COVID is only a few months away but we're all oblivious. They have Microsoft 365 and limited resources to spend on a fancy new intranet.

There I am again, face to face with SharePoint. But this time it was destined to be different.

I mean modern. SharePoint modern that is. The tables had turned. I could almost hear the ghost of SharePoint past chiding me.

"You said I was down for the count, did you? Well, look at me now!"

I had one of those movie moments. A montage of breakup scenes flashed in my mind where the protagonist is dumping their significant other. Except the audience knows that the person getting dumped is going to turn into the hottest, coolest person and they're 100% making the wrong move.

It was at that moment, in the midst of wanting to do right by my client and stick to my principle of making the best of the tech they already have, that my love for SharePoint began to blossom. And from then, it's been a beautiful relationship.

And like all beautiful relationships, it's not without its disappointments or challenges.

There are times when I think SharePoint can do it all and it lets me down. Big time.

There are times when I wake up one day and it looks and feels different. It's not the SharePoint I knew. How could it go and change on me like that?!

And there are times when I just feel confused. Like everything I thought I understood about SharePoint was based on some outdated idea that I must now revisit and come to terms with.

Good thing I have a therapist.

But I gotta say. SharePoint, you continue to surprise and delight me. Keep going like this and we may be getting into long-term relationship territory??.